Ho ho ho, Christmas is around the corner and in The Netherlands this crazy season starts already from the end of November! Sinterklaas (Saint Nicolas in many other countries) arrives all the way from Spain and on the 5th of December kids receive their so awaited presents. This year, especially because Tiago is a bit older, we could not stop asking ourselves: what should Sinterklaas bring them?
The fact is that we barely buy any presents (toys) for our little monkeys but the house is full of many different types of toys, stuffed animals, cars, puzzles, books, board games, you name it… this goes on and on and every year looks more and more challenging.
Since last year we started requesting our families to offer alternative types of presents: experiences and activities. This, we believe, is a very nice concept, although we get that it is hard to apply always with a 5 and 1 years-old-kids.
So the question was again: what should the kids get as a Christmas present?
For those asking themselves the same question, here we share some of the ✅ for babies and kids Christmas presents that promote not only creativity and imagination but also a more responsible type of consumerism.
Especially these days, it is important to remember that we should foster ideas, products and businesses with a responsible and green footprint. Here we go:
Books: are always welcome at home. It is a great option no matter the age. They inspire imagination and it is never too early to start promoting reading. However, it can be the case that you have reached the point where you already have plenty of them! (we feel you 😅) You can always try to sell the oldest books as second hand to make some room for new or even second hand too (even more environmental friendly). You can also choose the library as an alternative (we talk about it few bullet points ⬇️). Get your library pass for your baby and/or kid! Most of the cities offer it for free. We truly recommend it, it's one of our weekend activities specially now with the rainy season ahead of us 🌧️
Art supplies: another good kid’s present can be those related to art. It’s great to see how they let their imagination go wild! Sketchbooks, paint, sculpting clay are some options. Jordaan got last year from Los Reyes Magos (Wise Men in Spain 😋) very nice thick crayons which he uses very often to colour his drawings. They are also travel friendly since they are less likely to get lost because of their size and take barely no room. Of course, a great plastic free kid present too 🤗
DYI Kits: This becomes a more interesting option with toddlers and older kids (it´s a bit more complex to apply with babies, although if you have some nice ideas, please share! 😀). This year, Jordaan became a very big fan of Pokemon, so for his birthday presents for school we created cute Pokemon origami ́s. You can check our IG posts if you want to have a look at our wonderful plastic-free creations 🤩 DYI kits are always very nice because they can become a family activity which kids love to do!
Experimental gifts: one of our preferred options 💚 In fact, it was after reading some article about how many of the mainstream toys sold these days do not switch the right “buttons” in our kid’s brain. In particular those toys which kids have to click on a button and wait to see what the toy does… after reading that article, we started thinking about better kids present options, not only in terms of how they make our kids react to them and what they trigger to their brains but also in terms of their impact to the environment, it´s crazy when you think about the amount of plastic many toys are made of, for instance . Museum memberships, tickets to shows, or classes (music, dance, cooking) are good examples. Library membership can also work for you and your baby. In my list of experimental gifts for Jordaan I have a ceramic workshop pending to do where we can create our own cups 🥤The idea is to add our name on them, like this we should avoid using multiple of cups per day as it’s happening lately at home.
Outdoor gear: any items to encourage kids outdoor exploration, specially these days when kids spend so much time indoor and many times surrounded by screens. Magnifying lenses, binoculars, gardening kits… there are plenty of great options out there for your little one.
Board games and puzzles: These are also winning options and easy to find for any age. We love them at home and have still pending to complete one puzzle that Sinterklaas brought this year.
Clothes: are also a good option especially with babies. For Tiago it is nice to receive some nice outfits but overall we are pretty covered because we are using all the clothes from Jordaan (Jordaan was born at the end of September and Tiago at the end of October so basically the same season). Second hand clothes and organic cotton options are even better.
Cloth diapers: this is great present for (newborn) babies, their parents (also their wallet 😛) and of course, the planet. Our UnuPana cloth diapers are made in Europe ensuring ethical manufacturing conditions and our liners are made out of 100% certified organic cotton. Couldn’t be a better option to offer if you want the Starter Pack: lovely and comfy product for the baby, saver for the parents 💰and green present for and to the planet. Not sure which pack to give as a gift? No problem, we also have e-gift cards 🥰 You can read more about our diapers here.
Sometimes it looks like it is challenging to move around these festive days without exaggerating or promoting too much consumerism. However, with some imagination (and tips) you can make responsible, useful and green presents for your most loved ones 🥰
Have I missed any other good eco-responsible baby and kids Christmas presents? Just share it with us in the comments.
Merry Christmas and a Happy and Green New Year 2024 💚
Cheers,
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